Dan Heath’s ‘Reset’ is a Great Guide for Moving Boulders Blocking Organizational Success

As a business advisor and researcher of go-to-market strategies and organizational structures, I see boulders blocking the path forward every day. A certain amount of dysfunction and inefficiency is inherent in all companies; the larger the organization, the more pronounced these issues become.

Leaders and staff typically want to do the right thing and make their businesses run more efficiently. At my firm, Channelnomics, we often discuss two ways to drive growth: you either pour fuel into the engine or remove friction from your processes. Yet, removing complexity and fixing problems is often beyond the ability to effectuate change.

Why not change when you know things aren’t working well? We’re conditioned to offer excuses like “change is too disruptive,” “we don’t have the budget or resources,” or—my favorite—“that’s not the way it’s done here.”

In his latest work, Reset: How to Change What’s Not Working, Dan Heath offers a practical framework for diagnosing and transforming systems — whether organizational processes or everyday routines—that have become stagnant. Heath, a prolific author on topics ranging from business and brand value to process management, writes in a clear, accessible style that makes his ideas easy to understand and apply.

Heath employs numerous real-world examples to show how his approach enables business leaders, managers, and everyday professionals to identify root-cause problems, devise effective solutions, and achieve tangible results. Some examples occasionally feel stretched to fit the narrative, but the underlying process remains sound.

Ironically, in my consulting engagements, I often refer to problems—both known and unknown—as “boulders.” While neither Heath nor I coined this term, it aptly describes obstacles that appear insurmountable. Heath wisely uses boulders as his starting point.

In Reset, Heath divides the book into two major parts: finding leverage points and restacking (or redeploying) resources in the right places.

As the ancient Greek mathematician Archimedes famously said, “Give me a fulcrum and a lever, and I can move the world.” Heath builds on this idea by asserting that you can implement change effectively once you identify the right leverage point. He outlines five methods for determining these points: get out in the field and observe what works in person; consider alternate pathways to your goals; study what’s working well and expand on it; target the elements holding your organization back; and map the system to see the whole picture.

Identifying problems, however, is only the first step. Heath then pivots to the reallocation of resources. He argues that problem-solving is more about adding or subtracting elements than rebalancing them. Moving resources to their most effective uses involves creating bursts of focused activity, eliminating tasks that don’t contribute to the desired outcome, shifting efforts to higher-value activities, motivating people through engaging work, and establishing feedback mechanisms to guide future actions.

It may all sound like common sense, but sometimes a clear reminder of the obvious is needed to spur action. Heath, also the author of Made to Stick and Switch, masterfully walks readers through both the evident and the subtle, making his process practical and beneficial.

Every organization has problems and struggles to make meaningful improvements. Heath’s Reset provides a practical roadmap that many business leaders need to get their boulders rolling.

I'm on a mission to read 50 books in 2025. This is book 15 in my journey. What books are you reading? What books should I read? Share your thoughts in the comments or message me. All thoughts and suggestions are welcomed.